Kukla's Korner Hockey

The National Hockey League Players’ Association is prepared to use Quebec labour law, if necessary, to try to prevent the National Hockey League and the Canadiens from locking out Habs players on Sept. 15....

Canadiens players, through their Montreal-based lawyer, Michael Cohen, sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter to the owners of the Canadiens and to the NHL on Friday, Sept. 7. Unless they cease their threats to lockout, the players will make an application to the Quebec Labour Board this upcoming week seeking to stop the Canadiens from locking out their players.

If the Quebec Labour Board agrees, the NHLPA contends, it could order the owners of the Canadiens not to lock out the players or to end a lockout in Quebec if one has started.

I don’t see the Quebec Labour Board siding with the NHLPA in this situation, if for no other reason than if Quebec City ever wants to land a franchise, it’s better for the province to side with the league.

Even throwing out the implied accusation that the Quebec Labour Board would refuse this grievance for perhaps less-than-shining reasons, the NHLPA last applied to be recognized in 2005, then withdrew their application and haven’t tried to make an application to be recognized by the QLB since.

Now that they have a use for the QLB and a use to be recognized by the QLB, it’s a might bit shady that the NHLPA hasn’t tried to go through these steps before looking to jump on a technicality.

Ultimately, I don’t blame the NHLPA for trying this. in fact, I think they’d be stupid not to try. I just don’t think they’ll succeed in the stated purpose (but could very well succeed in alternate purpose of making the league sweat a bit).